Single shaft positive drive

Claim 2

A positive drive comprising: (a) an input member adapted to be rotated by driving torque transmitted from a power source to rotate a pair of spaced output members defining an axis of rotation; (b) a single-piece housing operatively associated with said input member and surrounding both of said output members; (c) first clutch means having an engaged mode which locks in a predetermined rotational relationship said input member to one of said output members when said one output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is equal to or less than a predetermined angular velocity of said other output member and having a disengaged mode which allows said one output member to rotate relative to said input member when said one output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is greater than said predetermined angular velocity of said other output member; (d) second clutch means spaced from said first clutch means and having an engaged mode which locks in a predetermined rotational relationship said input member to said output member when said other output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is equal to or less than a predetermined angular velocity of said one output member and having a disengaged mode which allows said other output member to rotate relative to said input member when said other output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is greater than said predetermined angular velocity of said one output member; (e) a shaft extending through said single-piece housing, oriented approximately perpendicular to said axis of rotation, and located between said first and second clutch means; (f) first cam means located between said shaft and said first clutch means for moving said first clutch means from said disengaged mode to said engaged mode; and (g) second cam means located between said shaft and said second clutch means for moving said second clutch means from said disengaged mode to said engaged mode.

Claim 3

The positive drive of claim 1 wherein: (a) said input member is a housing defining a cavity; (b) said clutch means are located within said cavity; and (c) said shaft extends across said cavity and has a pair of ends connected to said housing.

Claim 4

The positive drive of claim 1 or 2 wherein: (a) each of said clutch means includes, (1) an inner member adapted to be operatively connected for rotation with the respective output member, (2) an outer member juxtaposed said inner member and movable into contact with said inner member to place the respective clutch means in said engaged mode and out of contact with said inner member to place said respective clutch means in said disengaged mode, and (b) said cam means for each of said clutch means contact said outer member of said respective clutch means.

Claim 5

The positive drive of claim 3 wherein: (a) a plurality of inner members are present in each of said clutch means; (b) a plurality of outer members are present in each of said clutch means, said outer members being interposed between said inner members of each of said clutch means; (c) each of said clutch means further includes a drive coupling secured to the outer members of the respective clutch means; and (d) said cam means for each of said clutch means is secured to said drive coupling of the respective clutch means.

Claim 6

The positive drive of claim 4 wherein: (a) each of said inner members is an annular friction disk; and (b) each of said outer members is an annular friction disk slidably secured to the respective drive coupling.

Claim 7

The positive drive of claim 3 wherein: (a) each of said output members is a spline coupling; (b) each of said clutch means further includes a drive coupling secured to the outer member of the respective clutch means; and (c) said cam means for each of said clutch means is secured to said drive coupling of the respective clutch means.

Claim 8

The positive drive of claim 6 wherein: (a) a plurality of inner members are present in each of said clutch means; and (b) a plurality of outer members are present in each of said clutch means, said outer members being interposed between said inner members of each of said clutch means.

Claim 9

The positive drive of claim 2 wherein: (a) each of said cam means comprises first and second cams engageable with said shaft to move the respective clutch means into said engaged mode; (b) said first cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent one end of securement of said shaft to said housing; and (c) said second cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent the other end of securement of said shaft to said housing.

Claim 10

The positive drive of claim 3 wherein: (a) each of said cam means comprises first and second cams engageable with said shaft to move the respective clutch means into said engaged mode; (b) said first cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent one end of securement of said shaft to said housing; and (c) said second cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent the other end of securement of said shaft to said housing.

Claim 11

The positive drive of claim 5 wherein: (a) each of said cam means comprises first and second cams engageable with said shaft to move the respective clutch means into said engaged mode; (b) said first cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent one end of securement of said shaft to said housing; and (c) said second cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent the other end of securement of said shaft to said housing.

Claim 12

The positive drive of claim 7 wherein: (a) each of said cam means comprises first and second cams engageable with said shaft to move the respective clutch means into said engaged mode; (b) said first cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent one end of securement of said shaft to said housing; and (c) said second cams of said cam means face each other and are located adjacent the other end of securement of said shaft to said housing.

Claim 13

The positive drive of claim 2 wherein said housing includes at least one window communicating with said cavity and the exterior of said housing, said window being sized for the insertion of said clutch means into said cavity.

Claim 14

The positive drive of claim 1 or 2 further comprising resilient means biasing said first and second clutch means.

Claim 15

The positive drive of claim 1 or 2 wherein: (a) each of said output members is a spline coupling adapted to receive one end of a vehicle axle having a removable annular retention member; and (b) each of said spline couplings have an annular surface engageable with said annular retention member when an axle is located within said spline coupling to retain said spline coupling and said axle relative to one another.

Claim 16

The positive drive of claim 1 or 2 wherein: (a) each of said cam means comprise two pairs of circumferentially spaced surfaces located 180 degrees relative to one another to define two generally diamond shaped openings aligned along the axis of said shaft; (b) said shaft projects through said diamond shaped openings and is movable with said input member relative to said cam means to contact surfaces of each of said cam means to move said cam means to said engaged modes.

Claim 17

The positive drive of claim 15 further comprising: (a) a pair of spaced annular drive couplings mounted for rotation relative to said input member and movable axially relative to said axis of rotation, each drive coupling being a part of one of said clutch means and moving said clutch means to the engaged mode upon axial movement; and (b) each of said cam means is located on one of said drive couplings.

Claim 18

The positive drive of claim 16 wherein each of said clutch means includes: (a) an inner member adapted to be operatively connected for rotation with the respective output member, (b) an outer member juxtaposed said inner member and movable into contact with said inner member to place the respective clutch means in said engaged mode and out of contact with said inner member to place said respective clutch means in said disengaged mode, said outer member being in contact and movable with said drive coupling.

Claim 19

The positive drive of claim 17 wherein: (a) a plurality of inner members are present in each of said clutch means; (b) a plurality of outer members are present in each of said clutch means, said outer members being interposed between said inner members of each of said clutch means.

Claim 20

The positive drive of claim 18 wherein: (a) each of said inner members is an annular friction disk; and (b) each of said outer members is an annular friction disk slidably secured to the respective drive coupling.

Claim 21

The positive drive of claim 17 wherein each of said output members is an annular spline coupling rotatable about said rotation axis of said drive couplings.

Claim 22

A positive drive comprising: (a) housing means; (b) an input member adapted to be rotated by driving torque transmitted from a power source to rotate a pair of spaced output shafts which define an axis of rotation; (c) first clutch means having an engaged mode which locks in a predetermined rotational relationship said input member to one of said output members when said one output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is equal to or less than a predetermined angular velocity of said other output member and having a disengaged mode which allows said one output member to rotate relative to said input member when said one output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is greater than said predetermined angular velocity of said other output member; (d) second clutch means spaced from said first clutch means and having an engaged mode which locks in a predetermined rotational relationship said input member to said output member when said other output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is equal to or less than a predetermined angular velocity of said one output member and having a disengaged mode which allows said other output member to rotate relative to said input member when said other output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is greater than said predetermined angular velocity of said one output member; (e) a camshaft rotated by said input member, oriented approximately perpendicular to said axis of rotation, and located between said first and second clutch means; (f) first cam means located between said shaft and said first clutch means for moving said first clutch means from said disengaged mode to said engaged mode; (g) second cam means located between said shaft and said second clutch means for moving said second clutch means from said disengaged mode to said engaged mode; and (h) each of said spaced output shafts including retention means disposed within said housing means, each of said retention means being operable to limit axial movement of the respective output shaft away from said camshaft.

Claim 23

A positive drive comprising: (a) housing means; (b) an input member adapted to be rotated by driving torque transmitted from a power source to rotate a pair of spaced output shafts which define an axis of rotation; (c) first clutch means having an engaged mode which locks in a predetermined rotational relationship said input member to one of said output members when said one output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is equal to or less than a predetermined angular velocity of said other output member and having a disengaged mode which allows said one output member to rotate relative to said input member when said one output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is greater than said predetermined angular velocity of said other output member; (d) second clutch means spaced from said first clutch means and having an engaged mode which locks in a predetermined rotational relationship said input member to said output member when said other output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is equal to or less than a predetermined angular velocity of said one output member and having a disengaged mode which allows said other output member to rotate relative to said input member when said other output member is rotating at an angular velocity in the direction of torque transmittal that is greater than said predetermined angular velocity of said one output member; (e) a camshaft rotated by said input member, oriented approximately perpendicular to said axis of rotation, and located between said first and second clutch means; (f) first cam means located between said shaft and said first clutch means for moving said first clutch means from said disengaged mode to said engaged mode; (g) second cam means located between said shaft and said second clutch means for moving said second clutch means from said disengaged mode to said engaged mode; and (h) each of said spaced output shafts including retention means disposed within said housing means, each of said retention means being operable to limit axial movement of the respective output shaft away from said camshaft.

Claim 24

The positive drive claim 21 wherein said housing means comprises a generally cylindrical housing portion defining a cavity and including at least one window communicating between said cavity and the exterior of said housing portion, said window being sized for the insertion of said first and second clutch means and said first and second cam means radially through said window into said cavity.